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News from Shin Kaze October 2023
Shin Kaze Aikido Alliance is an organization dedicated to the practice and development of
Aikido. It aims to provide technical and administrative guidance to Aikido practitioners and
to maintain standards of practice and instruction within an egalitarian and tolerant structure.
Welcome to the October 2023 edition of the Shin Kaze Aikido Alliance newsletter.
Once again we have been fortunate to have received a number of very interesting contributions on a broad variety of topics,
reflecting the diversity of our membership.
There are articles on the Senpai/Kohai relationship, learning from one's teacher,
considerations on whether a martial art such as Aikido can evolve past its origins, views on how Aikido changes people,
how one of our members remains Aikido curious, a report on the Japanese Cultural week in Venezuela,
a new comic on the series of "Aikido animals", the Book Corner with an excerpt of Kanai Sensei's book "Technical Aikido",
how to report Aikido injuries,
a welcome and brief overview of the latest dojos to join Shin Kaze and congratulations to dojos
that have attained Full Membership status.
We are always interested in our members' views and perspectives, and
we encourage everyone to contribute an article or two to upcoming newsletters.
We hope you will enjoy this issue.
Art. 2
Senpai Kohai Relationship
By Andrew Benioff
Lemon Hill Aikido, Philadelphia, USA
In Japan, the senpai-kohai system underlies nearly all relationships. Although there is no exact translation into English, senpai (先輩) roughly means a senior or older person with whom you have dealings. Conversely, kohai (後輩) is the junior or younger person. This system permeates Japanese society. The senpai-kohai system is actually more than just a rank where the older members get special privileges. It is a mentor system in which senpai have to teach and support kohai.
Senpai are not monarchs—they are not born to rule. Senpai are seniors; their responsibilities include guiding and mentoring those junior to them. They earn their positions; they do not acquire them through an accident of birth, an act of dominance, or a democratic election. Senpai are people who have invested considerable time, effort, and expense to acquire a set of traditions, techniques, and understandings that they share with people who do not have the same experience: kohai.
The rule that binds the senpai is that they must constantly examine and evaluate all the factors affecting their practice and that of others. They are to act in a way that is in the best interest of their kohai.
Senpai are, among other things, honor-bound to ensure an environment conducive to the acquisition of the art. The kohai’s job is to trust that good intent and follow the senpai’s lead—cognizant of the fact, of course, that the senpai is human and may (will!) be in error sometimes, but that overall the direction is a sound one.
The senpai-kohai system is built on trust that the senpai is responsible—not that they are perfect. Because senpai have committed themselves to the overall good of the art and the welfare of the student body (and they have paid the “dues” for that level of responsibility), they are entrusted with the direction of other students.
While the role of senpai can be challenging, it is difficult to be kohai, too. In Western culture, there is a strong sense of individuality and a strong need to be personally noticed. Budo (the martial ways), however, teaches us to trust the good intent of others. In Budo, we are trying to reduce the sense that things must go “our way”. We do this not to become submissive but to allow our minds to become unfettered by preconception—so that we can blend with the attack of a person who truly wishes us harm and then neutralize that attack. Minds that are locked into having things “their way” may be overwhelmed by an attack that doesn’t meet their expectations.
There are many scenarios that can occur in senpai-kohai relationships, and the rules are nuanced and complex because, for one, sometimes there is not a huge seniority difference between training partners (compared, on the other hand, to the relationship of student and teacher where the guidelines are clearer). Additionally, sometimes a kohai in the dojo is actually one’s senior (age-wise) or may, in other areas of life (work, family, etc.), be much more adept. In addition, the frequency of interactions between senpai and kohai is usually quite great, so there is an inherent opportunity for many different circumstances to arise. To list out every possible permutation would be futile and far beyond the scope of this article.
That said, it is never the kohai’s job to correct their senpai. By correcting a senpai, the kohai is making several statements: one, that the instructor has not done their job in teaching the senior correctly; two, that the kohai considers themself knowledgeable; and three, that the kohai does not need to work on their own practice. Whenever we are correcting, we are transmitting, and we cannot both transmit and receive. Likewise, a senpai should be careful not to over-correct—i.e., focus more on correcting than simply training. While a point of correction can be helpful, it is not the senpai’s job to teach during class. This is a large trap for senpai that can significantly stunt their own growth.
By abiding the senpai-kohai relationship (“playing the game,” if you will), we are signaling to those around us that we accept the practices, and are indeed present to learn and train. Abiding one’s role—which can shift in an instant from senpai to kohai—is a powerful way of showing this: “I am here to learn. You can trust me.”
As a final point, the rule that kohai should not complement senpai is perhaps less obvious. However, it should be noted that—especially in Aikido—we are there to receive everything life has to offer, without judgment. That, in and of itself, is a lifelong practice.
Andrew Benioff began his study of Budo in 1982 with the practice of Isshinryu Karate-do. He continued from 1983-1997 studying Jidokwan (Korean Karate). In 1988 while living in Hawaii, he began the study of Aikido with Yoshioka Sadao Shihan. Shortly after that, he moved to Japan, where he lived for 4 ½ years continuing his practice of Jidokwan but also beginning Shindo Muso Ryu Jodo. In 1990-1992 he lived in Tokyo where he attended classes at the Aikikai Hombu Dojo 4-5 days/week. He was lucky enough to take classes regularly with Ni-Dai Doshu Ueshiba Kisshomaru, Osawa Kisaburo Shihan, Yamaguchi Seigo Shihan, Arikawa Sadateru Shihan and Miyamoto Tsuruzo Shihan, among many others.
Mr. Benioff returned from Japan in 1992 and moved to San Francisco where he continued his study of Aikido with Joel Posluns Shihan who founded the San Francisco Aikikai under the direction of Yamada Yoshimitsu Shihan and Kanai Mistunari Shihan. Benioff’s aikido is strongly influenced by the teachings of both Kanai and Miyamoto Sensei’s. He continues his practice today in Philadelphia at Lemon Hill Aikido, a Birankai-affiliated dojo.
Art. 3
Learning from my teacher
By Joel Posluns Shihan
Toronto Aikikai, Canada
I have been very fortunate in my Aikido practice of over 50 years, to have had the opportunity to practice
in hundreds of seminars with Kanai, Yamada, Sugano, Tohei, Chiba, Shibata and Kawahara Senseis in North America
and with Tamura Sensei in Europe. Of course, many sempai have also influenced and impacted not just my own practice
but how I teach technique.
There is an old adage in Budo (Martial Way) practice that you steal your technique from your teachers, as it
is not possible to be "spoon fed" techniques, especially in the Ko-ryu (Traditional Schools of Budo). But more
than just acquiring a catalog of techniques, there is also the terminology and mannerisms of your teacher in
conjunction with the underlying meaning and concepts that make the techniques what they are and how they work.
This is the part of Aikido that has always interested me - the transfer of knowledge and understanding of
the concepts underneath the techniques. It is also something that I have worked to incorporate into my own
teaching as a full-time professional instructor for 30 plus years. I find it the most challenging and difficult
idea to convey because I figured out a long time ago that students are ready to receive understanding on their
own timeline and not when you are ready to teach it to them. I also realized that, at a certain point in your
practice, teaching what you know is a way to consolidate your understanding, because if you cannot explain the
technique then you don't fully understand it and cannot transmit it to others.
As I chose, a long time ago, to follow Kanai Sensei, I always felt a kinship with the techniques and ideas
that he conveyed. Like him, I was not a big guy and often practiced with partners who were much taller and
outweighed me by 30 or 40 lbs. At 5' 8" and 150 lbs I'm a light middle weight. Also, I was never into the
muscular approach that many practitioners, especially in the early days of Aikido in Canada, were into.
Kanai Sensei's ideas of how to combine, in sequence, the different joints and muscle groups, in order to generate
power, really appealed to me both on an intellectual level and also in practice. Even a big difference in partner sizes,
small to big or big to small, does not make any difference to the successful execution of the technique.
In particular, the way Kanai Sensei emphasized the twisting of the Koshi (hip joint), using the muscle groups
that attach to the pelvic girdle, really worked for me. When you analyze it, these muscle groups are about five times
the size of the muscles attached to the shoulders, so just from a leverage point of view using the movement of the
lower body not only satisfies the Aikido concept of "moving from the center" and having a "stable and energized center"
but also really makes the concept of how to use the "tanden" (the gravitational center of the body) understandable.
Especially with the big projection throws that are so typical of Kanai Sensei techniques, using the part of the body
with the largest mass and weight makes a great deal of sense.
By using a lateral twisting motion of the Koshi you can project the power of your center into the center of your
partner and therefore you create momentum and transfer of weight. Of course, in order to really make this work you
have to engage the Achilles tendon and Hamstring muscles, two very strong elements in the body, in concert with the
twisting motion. The added focus of your power projected into the tanden of your partner makes these kinds of
techniques work.
As uke, naturally, you have to learn how to receive this power so that you absorb it in combination with your
own powerful ukemi, creating a big arching trajectory that is so much fun to practice (and much safer than crashing
into the tatami that often is the result of too much force being applied to uke). Even for beginners, there is a way
to do this that is safe and engaging, but it takes time to learn-both the nage's and the uke's role plus a willingness
to push the ukemi envelope - and should not be done without supervision and a proper surface to practice on.
Below are links to a few examples of techniques that demonstrate these principles. For those interested in
understanding Kanai Sensei's concepts and technique, I recommend reading his book "Technical Aikido", which although
unpublished, is reproduced in bite-sized segments in every issue of the Shin Kaze newsletter. The book reveals
Kanai Sensei's ideas about Aikido and is very articulate and understandable once you get into the material.
Maki Otoshi (nage: David Halprin, uke: Josh Layton)
These concepts permeate all of Kanai Sensei's techniques and you can see many more examples at the
Shin Kaze Video Directory.
Art. 4
Can a Martial Art Evolve Past Its Origins?
By Michael Aloia
Dojo-cho Asahikan Dojo, Collegeville, PA
The short answer would seem to be a simple yes. And on many levels this is entirely true. Once an art form passes from teacher to student, in its most basic application, it has evolved past its origins. Additionally, once that art form begins to move around and relocate, it has evolved past its origins. Obviously, geographically, but moreso similarly as it would pass from teacher to student and so on; with each new encounter, evolution occurs.
However, the question really lies with whether or not an art can move past both its country and cultural origins or is it that regardless of how far an art form travels and no matter how much an art form changes, advances, influences and grows, it will always be tied to its initial place of birth.
Again, the simple answer would appear to be yes; said art form will always be linked to both country and culture of origin no matter what.
So, if an art form can evolve past its origins but at the same time remain tied to those origins, is there any real reason for such a discussion?
That answer is also a yes.
Over the course of the past 30 years, the martial arts world has become a thriving global industry primarily because of the introduction of the internet and a varied form of mixed martial arts. These primary factors have infiltrated all martial arts, traditional and modern in some degree as well as having created a level of social awareness that has exposed the good, the bad and the ugly. Such exposure has heightened and leveled careers. But what has it done for the arts themselves? Are they better for it? Have they been able to evolve?
Many arts have been forced to take a good hard, honest look at themselves, determining their point, purpose, form, function and validity to exist and to continue. This evaluation and re-evaluation has, at times, not been easy. Much of what has been learned and taught has come into question and has come under fire by both peers and the general public. Case in point, go to any martial arts demonstration video on YouTube and it is not at all uncommon to read comments of a less than supportive nature in response to many traditional styles, often coming across the popular remark, "Now try that with a resisting partner", among other similar sentiments.
Yet all the negatives aside, reflection is a form of evolution. Such a practice creates a forum to question and an opportunity towards betterment; to grow, expand and build on what we know or think we know. This level of soul searching creates a level of honesty within the training. There is always room for improvement. As individual practitioners, we do this all the time as a means to progress and to better understand. This is evolution.
The definition of mixed martial arts is in the name and so is its evolution - a mixing of various forms of martial systems and methods. In essence, given both the definition and the eclectic criteria for mixed martial arts, there is an infinite amount of possibilities for creating a way, form, art, style, system or method of doing something which essentially establishes a new variant with every single practitioner; an endless and limitless evolution.
Mixed martial arts demonstrate the possibility of evolving past both country and culture of origin. Practitioners or combatants are not tied to regions of birth but rather develop an array of skills that best suit their needs and arsenal. The question that usually follows is whether or not said form can then be classified as the art or is it a hybrid or worse yet, a bastardized version of the art, thus alienating itself from any traditional channels of recognition and acceptance. Evolution, in this case then, is ultimately punished, disowned, criticized and ostracized by the establishment as not being part of a time-honored approach. Thus, skill and effectiveness is often overlooked.
Evolution can be a difficult task when position, power, rank, comfort and compliance are in question.
In today's martial arts world, it appears that no art form is truly pure, and were they really ever? Styles, systems and methods, as well as masters, teachers and students have all borrowed from somewhere else and more often than not, someone else at one point or another.
Evolution is defined as "the gradual development of something, especially from a simple to a more complex form."
We learn by doing, we grow by evolving.
If we tie ourselves to this or that for the simple sake of origin and or tradition, we run the risk of missing out on opportunities to grow. True training is character perfection; it is a life long journey of exploration and discovery; of defining, refining and redefining again and again. It's evolution.
In the end, the choice to evolve is an individual one, a decision to endure the endeavor and embrace all that can be possible; allowing it to grow and allowing it to evolve.
Art. 5
How Aikido changes people
By Michel Casanova
Dojo-cho Morihiro Saito Dojo, Cuba
We live in a connected world. Every day more people live in a virtual environment or spend much of their time glued to their phones or computers. Social networks are in our lives and consume a lot of time in our daily lives.
All of this is a reflection of the human being's innate need for communication, to relate to our fellow human beings. Activities such as socializing, telling others how our lives are going, reaffirming our knowledge, convictions and ways of thinking are part of the Internet universe. Modern media and technologies provide us with the approach and immediacy to transmit our culture.
Sometimes all this generates a lot of stress and anxiety, lack of sleep, disorders in our chores and habits, bad habits and, in the long run, health disorders.
The world has not always moved so fast. Sometimes it is necessary to get out of that digital world and return to reality.
There is no better opportunity to interact with others than when you share an activity together. If this activity demands attention, commitment, effort, intelligence and seeking to exceed goals in the search for a common objective, the closer those relationships become.
The art of Aikido then offers us that way through which our lives can change. It can improve in several aspects. This Art confronts us with our limitations and makes people of different faiths, ages, sexes, tastes, ways of thinking, etc. come together and work to improve yourself to overcome your egos, to help each other, to be in harmony and build peace.
Aikido teaches us to be more disciplined, responsible, studious, supportive and respectful. It gives us a purpose to constantly improve ourselves. It teaches us another way of seeing life, another culture, another spirituality. It also helps us get to know our body, overcome our fears and keep some extra pounds at bay. It makes us feel safer and better people.
When Aikido is part of our lives, there is no better connection than the one established between the practitioners and the tatami, between uke and tori, between the Sensei and his students.
Aikido really changes people. It is experienced in oneself and in those who continue to arrive at the Dojo.
If you really want to feel that connection, if you want to experience those changes, I invite you to join an Aikido Dojo. Train and then keep training. Cross the path that will undoubtedly lead you to a higher plane. Travel the path of energy and harmony, enjoy the art of peace.
Comics
Comics - Aikido Animals: The Explainer
By Jutta Bossert
Have you ever noticed that there are sometimes stereotypes of people you meet at every Aikido seminar?
Now imagine what kinds of animals they would be …
The Explainer – Whether you need it or not,
they will stop you to explain
every detail of the technique to you.
Every. Single. Time. You. Try. To. Do. It.
By Mitsunari Kanai Shihan, 8th Dan
Chief Instructor of New England Aikikai (1966-2004)
Editor's note: In this "Book Corner" we provide installments of books relevant to our practice.
As continuation from the previous issue, here is Part 1 of Chapter 3 of Mitsunari Kanai Shihan's book "Technical Aikido".
CHAPTER 3 - PRINCIPLE OF BODY MOVEMENT (UNTAI NO GENRI) - (Part 1)
Much of the language typically used in descriptions of AIKIDO technique reflects an over emphasis on footwork. Some common expressions reflecting this overly restrictive viewpoint include feet/leg movement (HAKOBIASHI), footwork (ASHISABAKI), and treading (ASHIBUMI).
The critical aspect of a technique is not in the movement of the feet and legs. This is because when a body movement exceeds a certain speed, it is impossible for the feet and legs to follow and keep pace. (Movement in the darkness where it is necessary to feel ones way along is an exception to the rule.)
Body movements naturally originate in the KOSHI which is the largest mass in the body. (The KOSHI should be understood to include the entire hip area of the body, including the buttocks.) The center of the KOSHI is the TANDEN, and TANDEN is also the center of the entire body.
In order for the human body to constantly maintain good balance, the KOSHI and the head (which is the body’s second largest mass) must be correctly aligned. When the weights of the head and KOSHI become misaligned, the posture can be re-balanced or corrected (very subtly in many cases) by moving and realigning the KOSHI and legs in a new position.
Executing complicated body movements is made possible by this cycle of moving the weight of the KOSHI and the head, destabilizing the posture, and realigning these weights by moving the legs and hips to a new, stable posture.
It is important to begin to understand the relationship of the head and KOSHI. However, because their relationship can become very complicated, a detailed explanation will be postponed until later. For the remainder of this discussion, we will define KOSHI as including both the head and the trunk, that is, as the whole weight of the upper body that rests on the KOSHI.
The entire upper body weight rests first on the KOSHI but then splits into two halves that extend through the legs and eventually rest on the two feet. Thus, when the KOSHI moves, the body weight will automatically shift. This results first in movement of the legs and feet, and then in movement of the whole body. If the weight shift is slow, the reaction of the two legs will be slow as well. Conversely, if the weight shift is fast, then the response will also be fast.
Whether one realizes it or not, the ability to move freely in any direction is made possible, and is triggered, by movement of the KOSHI which generates momentum and in turn is followed by movement of the legs. If one wishes to make refined movements, it is important to be conscious of the function of the KOSHI and fully utilize it.
End of Part 1.
CHAPTER 3 - PRINCIPLE OF BODY MOVEMENT (UNTAI NO GENRI) - (Part 2)
Basic forward and backward movements can provide some examples of this process.
First, consider forward movement. Begin from CHOKURITSU SHIZENTAI, i.e. a standing natural posture where the weight of the KOSHI is resting on the two legs in a balanced way. If one moves the KOSHI forward, one's body weight would crumble forward (unless the head is pulled backward to balance it). In order to control this destabilization of the body weight, one leg will tend to move forward. A smooth repetition of this sequence creates a smooth forward movement (ZENSHIN UNDO).
Conversely, if from CHOKURITSU SHIZENTAI one were to pull the KOSHI backwards, the body weight would crumble backwards unless one leg moves backwards. The repetition of this is backward movement (KOTAI).
Similarly, if from CHOKURITSU SHIZENTAI one were to shift the KOSHI to the right side, the body would crumble towards the direction of the KOSHI shift. In order to maintain one’s balance, the right leg must move toward where the KOSHI has shifted. Furthermore, if the other leg then follows, it would create a side shift movement.
Let us consider a second example, starting again from CHOKURITSU SHIZENTAI. If one twists the KOSHI to the left, it becomes evident that the KOSHI can move only up to a certain point without beginning to pivot the feet. Continuing to twist the KOSHI further to the left, beyond this point, causes the tip of the toe to begin to move in the same direction as the KOSHI’s movement.
Eventually, once the KOSHI twists and the feet pivot as far as possible, the toes and the KOSHI will wind up pointing in almost the same direction. (Note that the “direction” of the KOSHI is defined as the direction the TANDEN is pointing). This is especially true for the back leg (in this example, the right leg). Consequently, the whole body turns to the left and automatically creates the left natural posture (HIDARI SHIZENTAI).
Let us consider a third example beginning from a SEIZA (sitting straight) position. From SEIZA, one begins to rise by first sitting on one's toes and then, keeping the knees on the floor, stretching the KOSHI. From this position, move the KOSHI forward and step forward with the right leg so the knee assumes an upright position.
One can easily stand up from this position by stretching the backbone and the back muscles, and creating a posture in which three parts of the body form 90 degree angles: the inside angle of the upright knee, the inside angle of the knee on the floor, and the outside angle of the sole of the foot (which is already aligned vertically on its toes) and the heel (including the Achilles tendon). If the tips of both toes are pointing in the same direction as the KOSHI, then by simply straightening the rear leg and thereby extending it, one can easily and quickly rise to a standing position.
Once standing up, one's basic posture should be as follows: the right knee should be slightly bent and the lower leg (below the knee) should be aligned vertically. The rear leg should be stretched so as to function as a support stick (SHINBARI BO). Finally, the upper body (with a stretched back) should be aligned properly on the KOSHI such that the two legs evenly support its weight. This form is the strongest standing posture, and is especially critical at the final moment of a technique when one projects the maximum output of power into the opponent. Therefore, when one has just finished executing a technique, one should be in this posture.
Another feature of this posture is that if the front leg takes a long stride (and therefore there is sufficient distance between the front and back feet), it is easy to immediately lower one knee to the floor into an equally formidable and strong posture. Thus, when one wants to use a dynamic technique that employs a quick movement from a standing to a (one knee) kneeling position, it is important that there be an adequate span between the feet. If this is done, one will be able to correctly perform the movement required by this type of technique.
In all these examples, we see that all body movements are triggered by a KOSHI movement which, in turn, causes a weight shifting, and then, if balance and stability are to be re-established, necessarily leads to a compensating movement by both legs and feet. This is the principle of body movement (UNTAI NO GENRI).
Art. 8
Welcome to our most recent member dojos
We are pleased to announce the following new dojos have joined Shin Kaze as Provisional Members in the past three months:
Dojo Art of Peace Aikido, located in the historic Old Firehouse in the center of Stone Ridge in the state of New York, USA, led by dojo-chos Annette Schediwy Mackrel, rokudan, and Ralph Legnini, rokudan.
Joshua Tree Aikido Collaborative, located in the city of Yucca Valley, in the state of California, USA, led by dojo-cho Janice Taitel, yondan.
We are also pleased to announce that the following dojo have been granted Full Member status:
Hagakure Dojo of Shangrilá, Ciudad de la Costa, Uruguay, directed by sensei Pablo Vitelio, shodan
Ronin Dojo in the city of Jaworzno in Poland, directed by sensei Mariusz Kantek, shodan.
A warm welcome and congratulations!
Art. 9
Brief Overview: Art of Peace Aikido Dojo
By Annette Schediwy Mackrel and Ralph Legnini
Dojo-cho, Art of Peace Aikido, Stone Ridge, New York, USA
The Art of Peace Aikido dojo opened recently on October 1st, 2023 in Stone Ridge, NY.
Our location is the old historic firehouse building right at the main intersection of the Upstate New York town.
We, Annette Schediwy Mackrel and Ralph Legnini are both 6th Dan Shidoin and former long time students of Harvey Konigsberg
Sensei, Chief Instructor of the Woodstock Aikido dojo.
At the Art of Peace Aikido dojo we decided to share the Chief Instructor role.
We had been co-running and teaching at Woodstock Aikido for a number of years and were senior instructors there; we
successfully rebuilt Konigsberg Sensei's dojo after the pandemic, Annette was the dojo cho. She also facilitated a
global weapons class with many followers all through the pandemic time, and Ralph's unique Saturday morning
Parent/Kid class consistently drew 30 participants each week.
We left Woodstock Aikido with a new vision for what an Aikido dojo can be in 2023 and beyond. We believe there has been a
cultural shift in the USA and that Aikido students today desire a practice and a discipline that reflects that.
Many dojos have over the past years seen enrollment and student retention decline, and some have been forced to close for
that reason - and also because of sustainability challenges that the pandemic brought.
Instead of just shrugging shoulders and accepting that fewer folks may be doing Aikido today - we feel it is a time for
reinvention. We are well aware that few Dojos currently have a lot of students - if any - who train every day, taking a
dozen or more classes each week, as we both did for years and years when we started our Aikido journeys. Many students
today come to practice two or three times per week, tops. But interestingly, even though they may not train as much each week,
this new breed of student seems to embrace the spiritual and creative elements of the art, and proactively incorporates
those aspects into their daily life. They are making it part of themselves. We want our students to have vigorous dynamic
classes, inspired instruction, with less emphasis on rank, hierarchy, and cult. As one trains over the years and advances,
they should relieve themselves of competitiveness and ego, so that their training is pure and their focus is on the
mindfulness in their lives that Aikido can bring to them.
The format of our classes is often non-traditional. Instead of strict partner to partner training for the entire class, we
may move students into multiple groups, have different groups doing different things, and we often incorporate randori
practice into a portion of a class, so that everyone, even beginners, gets used to movement and energy coming at them from
a distance and spontaneously rather than always standing toe to toe with one another. We as instructors also typically train
with our students during our classes.
We are excited to be a part of Shin Kaze Aikido Alliance, and look forward to contributing as much as we can to the Aikido
community, as well as learning more and more from all of you. Our web site is
https://artofpeaceaikido.org and our
email address is artofpeaceaikido@gmail.com.
Art. 10
Brief Overview: Joshua Tree Aikido Collaborative
By Janice Taitel
Dojo-cho, Joshua Tree Aikido Collaborative, Yucca Valley, California, USA
I started Aikido in 1992 at New England Aikikai with Kanai Sensei. When my first child, Sam, was born, I moved to New Jersey
where I continued training under various instructors, and in 2009 I opened my dojo, the Aikido Center of Dover. This dojo
was across the street from the clinic where I worked as a pediatrician serving predominantly Latino immigrants. The dojo
was an extension of my healing practice, and I strove to make it as accessible as possible to my patients and other local
residents. I speak Spanish, the dojo was centrally located for my mostly carless students, and it was always “pay if able”.
In 2019, I organized the Petition to Support Women in the USAF. As a result of the negative response to that petition,
I left the USAF along with my dojo.
We stayed open throughout the Pandemic and operated briefly as an independent dojo and then
as members of Shin Kaze.
In early 2022, I moved to Joshua Tree, California. I couldn’t find anyone to take over the responsibility of running the
Aikido Center of Dover, so it, unfortunately, closed. I remained a member of Shin Kaze, however,
excited to see it develop according to values I wholeheartedly support. I serve as Ombudsperson for
Shin Kaze as well.
As soon as I arrived in Joshua Tree, I created a small dojo in my garage and named it the Joshua Tree Aikido Collaborative.
I was determined to not only build a healthy training space but also to look at traditions we take for granted and
to consciously continue only those which made sense to us. The dojo would be non-hierarchical with nobody elevated
over anyone else except in terms of relevant expertise. We have training sessions rather than classes, “collaborators”
rather than students, and can just be ourselves, without titles. We bow for respect and mindfulness, and mean it.
We sit up and listen quietly to whoever is showing a technique because we learn better,
and nobody is afraid to speak up. It’s an experiment, and I’ll keep learning.
Art. 11
Aikido-Curious
By Robert W. Koncelik, Jr.
Aikido of North Jersey, New Jersey, USA
Aikido is something to which my body responded to and has never stopped. After 15 years, my mind is starting to catch up and create a much-needed, attitude adjustment. I think in Aikido now, and am constantly "Aikido-curious."
The sub-culture of Aikido practitioners insists on dedicated, open learning, which oddly enough I would attribute to its imperfect, randomized structure. There is no system of constant learning anywhere that can match Aikido, even the ones that are purely profit-centric (and I am a die-hard capitalist by the way). Any of us can go anywhere and be welcomed to train with open arms and enhanced curiosity; there is always a dojo! The dichotomy about Aikido is that it is, far and away, the best reason for and why someone stays in shape, keeping the body moving. It lends itself well to cross-training like none of the other martial arts (I am a big fan of Systema and Judo).
My practice has always been "just get on a mat as much as possible" and pay little attention to pedigree, but it seems that I have gotten some very unique exposure to many instructors from various teaching lineages: Senseis Toyota, Chiba and Yamada, along with some Yoshinkan. Honestly, I am not even sure who my original teacher, Sensei Hussam of Harlem Aikido, had trained under, nor the system of ranking pedigree.
There is much rich Aikido content from around the world, particularly on YouTube. Sensei Dunken Francis from Aikido Silverdale (New Zealand), Sensei Tristan Chermack from Modern Aikido Podcast (Wisconsin) and Sensei Ryuji Shirakawa of Aikido Shinburenseijuku (Japan) are regular favorites of mine. Connecting with Sensei Paul Overvoorde, the Dutch philosopher who wrote Ueshiba's Universe was a special treat, as was the author of Kingdom of Dust, Sensei Piotr Masztalerz (Wroclaw, Poland). Sensei Richard Moon in California is also someone I follow, and whose content I like. Believe it or not, these connections all happened via LinkedIn (groups I belong to are Aikido Way of Life & Aikido in Business), which then lead me to YouTube.
As a result of all this, I am more thoughtful and stable off the mat, even to the point that I am confident in saying that I would not be writing this now had it not been for Aikido. If I die on the mat after good ukemi, that is fine by me!
Art. 12
Japanese Cultural Week in Aragua - Venezuela
By Rafael Pacheco Shidoin
Dojo-cho Venezuela Aikido Kokyu Ho Dojo, Maracay, Aragua State, Venezuela
On the weekend of September 2 and 3, Maracay dressed up for a gala event in an activity held at House of Italy for the 2023 Japanese Cultural Week in Aragua. The high quality of the different cultural expressions of Japan that were presented allowed us to enjoy a pleasant and enriching weekend.
The members of Venezuela Aikido Kokyu Ho Dojo, committed to these cultural meetings, thank the Embassy of Japan in Venezuela and the House of Italy of Maracay for their unconditional support in holding such a great event.
Since 2016 we have helped manage, in coordination with the Embassy of Japan in Venezuela, the Japanese Cultural Week in Maracay, capital of the state of Aragua, Venezuela.
It is an event in which various organizations and people express their love and passion for Japanese culture and for some of us, part of a lifestyle.
It is an opportunity to make known, to expose, to talk about what can be accomplished with discipline and dedication.
This is how we maintain constant contact with the Embassy of Japan, in particular with its Cultural Attaché Mr. Makoto Kobayashi who has a great capacity for work and willingness to carry out the necessary tasks to achieve common projects.
We have held the Japanese Cultural Week for two consecutive years at the House of Italy facilities in Maracay. An unusual feat, since we are harmoniously converging three different cultures: Venezuelan, Italian and Japanese. The empowerment and responsiveness of the President of House of Italy Mr. Claudio De Mauri and Professor Evelyn Ranauro - Director of Culture, is significantly pleasant. In her words: "I am very happy and privileged to develop this activity that strengthens the ties of friendship , as well as intercultural knowledge".
And as part of these inter-institutional relations with the Embassy of Japan in Venezuela, on March 17, 2023, at the Bicentennial University of Aragua, thanks to the determination of its Rector Dr. Basilio Sánchez, to the unrestricted support of the Administrative Vice Rector Dr. Gustavo Sánchez, Dr. Raquel Calderón, Director of Physical Activity, Sports and Recreation and the staff of this prestigious educational institution, the opening of "UBA DOJO" took place in record time. This represents an important turning point for this University, for the Aragua state and for the country, since it is the birth of a School of Japanese Martial Arts where the organizations "JKA Seiken Venezuela", "Toyama Ryu Venezuela" and "Venezuela Aikido Kokyu Ho Dojo" represented respectively by Sensei Luís Reverón, Pasqualino Sbraccia and Rafael Pacheco, offer Karate, Iaido and Aikido to the UBA university community and the community in general.
These three Japanese martial arts organizations are developing "Shibumi Project" as something unique, unprecedented and an example of a shared Budo. One of our main objectives with this project is to provide comprehensive martial training to our practitioners. We have already started with a first group, made up of advanced Karate practitioners who complement their training with the practice of Iaido and Aikijo. The curriculum expands and deepens as the groups grow and strengthen their knowledge, without abandoning their original discipline, but rather finding better performance in their practice. For the second group, we will have advanced students in any of the martial arts we practice, who would complement their martial training with the other two disciplines.
Art. 13
Reporting Aikido Injuries
Safety in Aikido practice is paramount, and a systematic approach to safe practice should always be observed
to minimize occurrence of injuries. However, even with the best of intentions and practices, injuries do occur
at times in Aikido, as in any martial art or physical activity.
To keep a record, identify and correct unsafe practices in Shin Kaze, a database was set up in mid-2022
for dojo-cho to record injuries as reported to them by their students. Fortunately no injuries have been
reported to date, but this may be because the dojo-cho were not informed. To streamline the reporting process
and make it more widely available, as of October 2023 all Shin Kaze members can report injuries anonymously.
To report an injury first log in to the Shin Kaze web site or register as a new user. Once logged in click on
the ADMIN tab on the top menu and then on the "Injury Report" tab on the left hand side. The "Aikido
Injury Report Form" will be displayed on the right and you will be able to create an injury report.
Hopefully there will be no injuries and there will be minimal use of this database.
Art. 14
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Dojo-cho Dojo Name, Country/Pais
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Art. 15
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